I.J. Ready and Colin Borchert hit free throws down the stretch Saturday to help Mississippi State pull away late with a 76-72 win over Ole Miss.More >>

I.J. Ready and Colin Borchert hit free throws down the stretch Saturday to help Mississippi State pull away late with a 76-72 win over Ole Miss.More >>

NEW YORK CITY (RNN) - No. 16 Florida dominated most of the game and escaped a last-minute charge from No. 15 Memphis, defeating the Tigers 77-75 in Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday.

The Gators (8-2) led by as many as 12 points in the first half. Memphis (7-2) grabbed a one-point lead at one point in the first half and again at the start of the second half, thanks in part to the Tigers' 10 steals and five blocks. Florida held them off by as many as eight points before the Tigers closed the deficit to two points with half a minute left. A couple of last-second free throws helped the Gators escape with the win.

Both teams were even shooting from the floor - Florida made 28-of-55 field goals while Memphis made 27-of-54. The Gators sunk seven out of 16 3-pointers while the Tigers made six-of-17. Memphis also made 15-of-18 free throws, while Florida shot 14-of-19.

Casey Prather led the Gators with 22 points and the team's only block of the game.

This was Florida's second straight win over a ranked opponent after taking down No. 13 Kansas last week. The Gators are now 2-2 against ranked opponents this season.